KNOW DEMENTIA, KNOW ALZHEIMER’S
Life bites. At times it is cruel.
Nath family was happy till dementia hit the patriarch. The family connected elder Nath’s irritability, forgetfulness, etc. as an age-related problem until the doctor pronounced his diagnosis – dementia/Alzheimer’s.
The brutal truth is that every 3 seconds someone in the world develops dementia/Alzheimer’s. It can happen to anyone, anytime. It has NO cure. In India people having dementia and Alzheimer’s face an unimaginable tragedy - the horrors of loneliness, forgetfulness, even forgetting to walk, eat or pass stool and of course the curse of abandonment – yes, people living with dementia/ Alzheimer’s are often abandoned. It is the most shocking truth. Perhaps, families have no money or they do not want to be stigmatized and shunned. Approximately Rs. 40000 to 50000 is required per month to take care of dementia/Alzheimer’s - the neurological –cognitive behaviour disorder. Lack of awareness, stigma and economic burden make dementia/Alzheimer’s patients vulnerable.
We have raised a campaign – Project Purple to help create awareness and establish DAYCARE CENTRE. We regularly do media advocacy to highlight the issue. Here’s a link to our awarded film on Alzheimer’s
I Remember
We will be honest. It’s rather difficult for us to help the hands and wrinkled faces who gave birth to us and nurtured our souls, forgetting themselves. People with dementia/Alzheimer’s are caught in the devastating and shattering human apathy and ignorance. We owe it to them. They made us who we are today.
